文本分析与翻译

3.1Extratextual factors

——王雪巍

3.1.2. Sender's intention

⏹The difference between intention, function, and effect

⏹What to find out about the sender's intention

⏹How to obtain information about the sender's intention

a. The difference between intention, function, and effect

Biihler

It equates "author's intention" with "purpose and effect".

Nord

The three concepts are three different viewpoints of one and the same aspect of communication. Because their separate analysis allows for a different treatment.

The intention is defined from the viewpoint of the sender, who wants to achieve a certain purpose with the text. But the best of intentions does not guarantee that the result conforms to the intended purpose. It is the receiver who "completes" the communicative action by receiving (i.e. using) the text in a certain function. Whereas the effect the text has on the

receiver can only be judged after reception.

The intention of the sender is of particular importance to the translator

⏹It determines the structuring of the text with regard to

content and form.

⏹The sender's intention is also important in connection with

the principle of loyalty. Even if the text function is changed in translation, the translator must not act contrary to the

sender's intention.

Example

A set of operating instructions is meant to inform the user about a certain

piece of equipment, e.g. a hairdryer, and to explain its correct use. Therefore, the text producer chooses the conventional forms of text organization

(composition, sentence structures, lexical cliches, etc.). Taking the text out of the box with the hairdryer, the receiver recognizes the particular forms of text organization and immediately knows that the sender wants to inform about the hairdryer and the way it has to be used. Therefore receivers will normally

utilize the text in this particular function. In this case, the text type is linked with a particular intention on the part of the sender, which leads to the

corresponding text function on the part of the receiver. The effect will be that of "conventionality".

b. What to find out about the sender's intention

There may be forms of "communication", where the sender is his or her own addressee: somebody may write something down either to ease the burden of their memory or to sort out their ideas and thoughts, or they may just scribble something on a piece of paper while making a phone call ("zero-intention"). These forms would not appear to be relevant to translation. In normal communication with two or more participants, the possible intentions correspond with the four basic functions of communication described above in connection with the systematic framework.